National dialogue would reunite Sudan’s Islamic forces

July 18, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The secretary-general of the Islamic Movement, al-Zubair Ahmad al-Hassan, said if the national dialogue process went well it will lead to a broad alliance among Sudan’s Islamists forces.

Zubair, who was speaking to the Blue Nile TV on Friday evening, revealed that meetings and dialogues on the unity of Sudanese Islamists take place between the members of the Islamic Movement from side, and between president Omer al-Bashir and the leader of the Popular Congress Party, Hassan al-Turabi from another side.

The secretary-general expressed hope that Sudanese Islamists reunite again, saying, “it would be a great boon, if a rapprochement happened”.

Observers expressed fears that the national dialogue process aims to reunite the National Congress Party (NCP) and to assemble traditional political forces supporting the adoption of an Islamic constitution in Sudan.

Truabi diverged since 1999 with Bashir on the attributions of regional governments and the inclusion of traditional parties in a large government supporting the establishment of the Islamic state in Sudan.

The former NCP secretary-general and speaker of the parliament at the time thought that the party was strong enough to engage in dialogue with the Umma Party and the Democratic National Party for a democratic and Islamic constitution, but the former vice-president Ali Osman Taha and his group including Attabani stood against him and instigated his removal.

Zubair said people continue to join the Islamic Movement, adding that its membership has reached one million members. Nonetheless he admitted that some of them are critical to the organisation saying they want it to be “elitist”.

He further said that the membership of the Movement are supportive for an Islamic state, adding “We are proud that we have achieved a great Islamic project in Sudan.”

The Islamic Movement, which was created by the NCP following the 1999 schism with al-Turabi to serve as political base to support the Islamist orientation of the regime, gathers Sufi and radical Islamist groups under its umbrella.

Zubair expected that the Islamic Movement would win the 2015 general election despite the separation of South Sudan under its rule, the severe economic crisis that hits the country and the violent repression of last year protests, he emphasised

He went to say they are ready to make political concessions to the other political parties but warned they should stop calls to remove the current government.

The PCP which was a leading opposition party, blamed the other opposition parties for their support to the overthrown of the elected Islamist Egyptian Mohamed Morsi, saying they are against any Islamic government even if it is elected by the people.

Since, Turabi’s party sticks to the national dialogue and seeks to promote and mobilise support for the process.

(ST)